Mural giving pupils at Marine Academy Plymouth a unique insight into marine environment has been created by Plymouth University

A giant mural which aims to provide pupils with a unique
insight into the marine environment is capturing imaginations at a Plymouth
school.

The central atrium and dining area at Marine Academy Plymouth (MAP) have been transformed thanks to a humpback whale taking up residence on its
walls.

Created by designers and graduates of Plymouth University,
and installed by city company Eagle Signs, the life-size image measures up to
38ft high and 90ft long, and comes complete with accompanying drawings to
demonstrate its scale – including an original Mini and a tall ship.

Meanwhile the story of the whale’s life is told in verse
written by Caroline Carver, poet in residence at Plymouth University’s Marine
Institute.

Nick Ward, Principal at Marine Academy Plymouth, said:

“This
iconic image and the story that goes with it immediately tells anyone learning,
teaching or visiting us what this building is about. Designed and made to the
highest standard, we believe it can inspire everyone who sees it. Our focus is to help to prepare and develop our
pupils’ career opportunities, and this mural is
a powerful vision of what they have the potential to achieve with the right
attitude and decisions.”

Marine Academy Plymouth is the first
establishment of its kind in the UK, and incorporates a nursery, primary
school, secondary school and sixth form.

Plymouth University is
the lead sponsor of Marine
Academy Plymouth, alongside Cornwall
College and Plymouth City Council, and over the
past 18 months, students and staff have worked with the school to transform the
appearance of its public spaces.

For this
project, the overall concept and selection of the design team was undertaken by
the University’s Brand and Campus Design Director, Tim Guy, and students from
MAP worked on the initial stages of the mural concept with illustrator and
Plymouth graduate Ben Wills.

Francis Reis, Head of Marketing Operations at Plymouth
University, said:

“This mural is the latest phase of a partnership designed
to raise the aspirations of young people across Plymouth and encourage them to
think about what they can achieve in the future. It has enabled our BA (Hons)
Illustration students and staff in the Document Production Centre to work on a
unique collaborative project, and the visual journey we are creating at Marine
Academy Plymouth is enabling us to engage with pupils throughout their
educational development.”

Eagle Signs has been responsible for all the external signage
at Marine Academy Plymouth, as well as much of the internal artwork. Mark Carter, Director of Eagle Signs, added:

“This is the
biggest internal sign we as a company have ever produced, and undoubtedly
presented us with some unique challenges. It took in the region of 50 hours to
print the image, and then a day and a half to install it, but we are very proud
of the results and of the impact our ongoing partnership with Marine Academy
Plymouth and Plymouth University is having on the school and everyone who comes
here.”

BA (Hons) Illustration

Illustration is all around us, in all forms of communication. We’ll encourage you to explore a range of techniques, media and approaches so you’ll be just as likely to see your work on the side of a building or on a tablet screen as on the pages of a book

Award-winning, committed tutors – who work at the forefront of illustration and are passionate about image-making – will support you on your journey.